Swine Flu and Dogs

What are the risks of your dog catching the deadly flu strain?

Although the suspected swine flu pandemic that was widely – and hysterically – predicted in the media last year never materialised (at least in terms of fatalities), the federal government is not convinced the risk has passed. Indeed, since September 2009 the government has been advocating that all Australians over the age of 10 should be vaccinated against the disease (a vaccine for children aged six months to 10 years is now also available).

Swine flu, or H1N1 influenza to give the disease its proper name, certainly has the potential to be deadly to people. Less well-known is that fact that it can also be fatal to dogs, with reports of deaths in China and confirmation that, while no fatalities have been recorded to date, swine flu has been passed from sick humans to their pets in the West. It should be stressed that incidents of human-to-canine transfer are thankfully rare, and there have been NO documented incidents of canine-to-human transfer.

You should therefore take the following preventative/protective steps where dog are concerned:

•    Keep dog away from anyone with swine flu in the first few days. This includes making sure a dog does not enter the bedroom of an infected person. Contact should only be resumed 24 hours after the person’s temperature has returned to normal.
•   Cough or sneeze into a tissue and dispose of it properly.
•   Wash hands thoroughly before preparing a dog’s food.
•    Stay alert for warning signs.
Swine flu symptoms in dogs
•    Sneezing/coughing
•    Runny nose/eyes
•    Lack of appetite
•    Fever
•    Lethargy
•    Trouble breathing

If you spot these symptoms in your dog, take him or her to the vet’s immediately. Medication may be required followed by bed rest (in isolation from other animals) and a stress-free atmosphere. At present, though there is no approved H1N1 vaccine for dogs. The canine influenza vaccine, which protects dogs against that particular deadly disease, is not effective against the ‘swine flue strain’.

It must be reiterated that the chances of your dog developing H1N1 influenza are extremely small and there is obviously no need to panic. However, as with every family member, watchfulness is required.

Images by jaeWALK and Donna Manning